How it works
Photo Story is a Microsoft provided software, which is free and available for anyone who has a modern version of Windows, i.e. from Windows XP and onwards. This software is used for creating presentations out of digital photos. These photos could be own taken photos, scanned pictures or pictures found at the Internet. A useful sight on the Internet to find photos without worrying about the copyright issue is Fotofinnaren. This is an archive of photos which constantly grows larger and it is available to anyone. You'll find the sight on: http://fotofinnaren.se/
Besides working with pictures, Photo story allows to add narration, background music and many other effects. Once a photo story has been created, you will need Windows Media Player in order to able to play it.
It's easy to learn how to work with Photo Story and the best part of it is that it'll cost you nothing, since it's freely downladable!
Instructions of how to use Photo Story are found at:
http://www.rexnet.se/larwei1/it_stordammen/html/photostory/index.htm
Photo Story is downloadable at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx
How teachers and pupils can use it
A positive part with using Photo Story in your English education is that it allows you to create learning situations that could be suitable to all your pupils. Photo story can be used as a creative tool in order to suit all pupil's levels of language.
The many different ways of how you could use Photo Story in your English education are more or less unlimited. As a teacher you are able to create a lot of different tasks to your pupils and here I'll give you a small selection of topics of presentations that I think could be approprate to work with at earlier levels:
- My holiday
- My pet
- My family
- My trip
- My interests
- Create an ending of a story
Once a photo story has been created, you also have the possibility to have it published at You Tube for example. Publishing work created by your pupils on the Internet will probably have a highly motivating effect. Knowing that it'll not only be your teacher or your peers but also your parents, relatives and friends who will be able to see what you've created will most likely have the effect of pupils making harder efforts to have their work done correctly!
I have used photostory and I think it is a great tool. It is easy to learn and easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteI agree that http://fotofinnaren.se/ is great to use to find pictures and as you point out it is important to consider the copyrights when you do not use your own photos. I think it is a good idea scan and use the drawings made by the pupils. My experience is that they are delighted to see their drawings on the screen.
If you want to have background music played during your photostory I can recommend that you visit www.multimediabyran.se. They have different melodies that you can use and they are also free from rights. They can also provide pictures free from copyrights although not as many as fotofinnaren.
Another great thing about photostory is that you can write text on your pictures. You can read and record the text if you like or the viewers can read the texts themselves. The pupils often do not mind having their voices recorded. But I can not say that I am fond of hearing myself recorded.
I work with the youngest pupils and we made some photostories with nursery rhymes. I like your idea about publishing on youtube. Me and my pupils have not done that, but I will think of it the next time. My daughter and her friend published a story they had made about three years ago. It is still there and it is fun to look back at their work.
I like photostory and it is a fantastic feeling for the pupils too see their photostories shown on the “silver screen” by the projector. They feel like they have made a real movie. They feel proud of their work and wants to show it to their parents and other pupils.
Photo Story is a fascinating and useful ICT resource, especially for pupils in schools. It is important that schools bring new and fun tools up to date.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that Photo Story doesn’t cost anything, which is great for schools. It is also great that Photo Story allows you to work a lot with photos and music, since most children usually like photos and music.
I have visited http://www.rexnet.se/larwei1/it_stordammen/html/photostory/index.htm and I think that the instructions are easy to follow and understand. Therefore, even younger children can learn how to use Photo Story, and also teachers without technical knowledge!
It is positive that Photo Story is suitable for all pupils, regardless their ages. Another positive thing is that good results can be shown on a very short time. Pupils can create fantastic works with Photo Story during one lesson. It is easy to make it look professional!
You mentioned some topics of presentations that could be appropriate to work with, but you could also have mentioned some tips and ideas of tasks, since there are a lot of beginners among teachers. Otherwise, I don’t think that you have missed anything else in your presentation that needed to be there.
Even though Photo Story has a lot of positive advantages, it also has one disadvantage. You mentioned that Photo Story is only available for those who have a modern version of Windows. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of schools that have access to new and modern versions.
I have looked and searched for more disadvantages with Photo Story, but I can’t actually find more disadvantages. Therefore, this must mean that Photo Story is a success!
Photo Story has an endless amount of opportunities and can be used in all subjects in school. Teachers probably think that Photo Story is just as much fun as pupils do!
//Mikaela Bengtsson.